Tauroctony from Vratnitsa

TNMM 701 ↔ CIMRM 1893 & 1894

Rectangular relief in limestone (H. 0.44 Br. 0.565). Now walled in to the r. of the door of the vicarage at Podhum. The relief was found in the grounds of Alija Lihic in Vratnica near Lisicici in Herzegovina. As in these grounds, on the r. bank of the Narenta many Roman bricks were found, Patsch was of the opinion that a sanctuary existed here, but only excavations can confirm this.

Mithras as a bullkiller in an arched niche. The bull’s tail ends in three corn-ears. The raven is represented on the grotto’s border. The dog, the serpent and the scorpion. Cautes (r) and Cautopates (l) are not cross-legged. They hold with both hands a burning torch. In the upper corners outside the grotto the busts of Sol in radiate crown (l) and of Luna in crescent (r). The l. arm and l.h. of Cautes are lost.

In the bottom rim an inscription:

CIMRM 1894

L(ucius) Antonius Menander Aphro/disieus invicto / aug(usto) v(otum) f(ecit).